Long delays, one lane closed and queueing traffic due to an earlier accident involving three cars involved on M6 Southbound between J21A M62 J10 (Croft Interchange) and J21 A57 Manchester Road (Woolston). Lane four (of four) remains closed while one of the vehicles is being recovered. Traffic was held for a short period of time (around 6pm) to assist the vehicles.

Lane closed due to broken down vehicle on M62 Westbound at J9 A49 (Winwick). Traffic is coping well.Lane one (of four) is closed.

19:05

Traffic - M56

There is heavy traffic and a lane closed on the exit slip road due to a vehicle fire on the M56 Eastbound at J10 A49 Tarporley Road (Stretton).

Lane one (of two) is closed.

18:54Andrew Cain

Life-saving Chester skipper strikes again

Paul Blessing, assistant operations manager at Chester Boat

A quick-thinking skipper at Chester Boat is once again the man of the hour after saving another person from drowning.

Paul also hit the headlines last autumn after rescuing a baby when a runaway pram ended up in the water

18:44Andrew Cain

Weather - increasingly windy but easing overnight

The Met Office has given us a thoroughly autumnal sounding forecast for the North West of the UK this evening - increasingly windy tonight, but with the worst of the wind easing off by tomorrow morning’s rush hour

18:35Andrew Cain

Quick thinking by Crewe Police

Very quick action by Crewe Police this afternoon has led to two stolen bikes being recovered and offenders detained within minutes of the theft.

18:25Andrew Cain

Cheshire-based accountancy firm pays tribute to late co-director

Jonathan Curwen, of Afford Bond Chartered Accountants, has died after a brave battle with cancer

A Cheshire-based accountancy firm has paid tribute to one of its co-directors, who has died.

Traffic - M6 Southbound

Long delays and queueing traffic due to all traffic being temporarily held and an earlier accident, three cars involved on M6 Southbound between J21A M62 J10 (Croft Interchange) and J21 A57 Manchester Road (Woolston). Travel time is 30 minutes.

Lanes three and four (of four) were closed until highways held traffic.

17:46Andrew Cain

Roman artefacts found under Chester HQ

Jane Hebblewhite, senior heritage officer and Liz Montgomery, interpretations and collections officer, who both work for West Cheshire Museums run by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Royal visit to Lymm

Traffic - M6 delays

More delays on the M6 in Cheshire this afternoon. A broken down lorry forced two lanes to be closed earlier between J17 (Sandbach/Congleton) and J18 (Middlewich)on the northbound side. There are still delays in the area of about an hour, but all lanes are now open and the traffic is starting to ease

17:08Andrew Cain

Police appeal over Handforth arson

A fire in a disused building in Handforth yesterday evening is being treated as arson.

One fire engine from Wilmslow and two from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were sent to the building on South Acre Drive in Handforth on Sunday at around 5.25pm, where they used four breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets and a large fan to tackle the blaze.

They were at the scene for two hours and the fire is believed to have been started deliberately.

Anybody with information about the incident is asked to call Cheshire Police on 101

Cheshire East planning permission expired

The planning permission that had been in place has now expired as the council took too long to develop the site, meaning it must now reapply for planning permission if it wants to go ahead with the development.

Police release new Eddie O'Rourke picture

Investigating officers believe the incident was an isolated one and have appealed for anybody with information to get in touch.

Detective Inspector Adam Waller said:

“Local officers remain in the area to provide reassurance to the community and anyone with any issues or concerns is urged to speak to them.

“I am keen to hear from anyone who was driving along Main Street or Castle Road at around 8.30pm and thinks they may have dashcam footage of the incident or anything else that may aid our investigation.”

16:27Andrew Cain

Hospital fire

Firefighters were sent to tackle a small fire at a Crewe hospital this morning.

Fire engines from Crewe, Winsford and Middlewich were sent to Leighton Hospital at around 8.30am today after reports of a small fire in a launderette washing machine.

A spokesman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said:

“Crews extinguished the small fire, which was due to an overheated engine in the machine, using a fire extinguisher.”

16:10Andrew Cain

Free prosecco at Chester restaurant

UPDATE - M6 traffic released

The traffic is now on the move again on the M6 following the earlier collision, but one lane remains closed between J18 and J19 for recovery and clear up and there are delays of about half an hour in the area

15:55Andrew Cain

Traffic - M6 collision

There are also delays on the M6 northbound between J18 (Middlewich) and J19 (Knutsford/Manchester Airport) - traffic has been temporarily stopped due to a collision, according to this Tweet from Highways England

15:53Andrew Cain

Traffic - Vicars Cross

Traffic is starting to build near Vicars Cross, with congestion on Vicars Cross Road and Tarvin Road outbound before the A55 (Vicars Cross Interchange). Travel time is five minutes.

Emergency services carol concert

Is it too early to start thinking about Christmas? Personally, I don’t think it is, and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service don’t either. They’re on the lookout for a Cheshire-based primary school to join in with their Emergency Services concert alongside Cheshire Police and North West Ambulance Service at Chester Cathedral this December.